Mindanao forming a separate government from the Philippines. This would mean a great deal not just for the government but mainly to the people as well. The word Mindanao has long been associated with the internal conflicts within the tribal groups in the region which includes: The Christians, the Muslims, and the Tribes men, often arguing about ancestral domains and other territorial woes. But this shouldn’t surprise us, in fact these territorial conflict dates back as far as the 16th century. Fast forward to today, we, the Filipino people particularly the Mindanoans still suffer from that anarchy among other woes such as poverty, security, access to public health, environment and labor and the likes. Despite these facts, should these prompt the government to give Mindanao its sovereignty? I don’t think so. And it’s a very big NO. Let me quote Atty. Soliman Santos, Jr. in his paper: Constitutional Accommodation of a Bangsamoro Islamic Region, where he stated that “There can be no radical political restructuring without constitutional change.” And separating Mindanao from the Philippines wouldn’t be practical. In fact the government or the proponents of this would have to consider a lot of things before pushing the matter. Apart from tackling equality between the Christians and the Muslims, the issue of peace and order is also at stake. In case Mindanao will be separated, the Philippine government would need to have a peace agreement between the Muslims who obviously want to run the supposed new Mindanao state. Noting that Muslims or the Moros residing in Mindanao are also considered Filipinos. With just these two facts, the idea of separating Mindanao from the Philippines would disunite the country and aside from this, allow me state a few more of the impracticability of separating Mindanao from the Philippines:

1. It would not be cost-efficient to Philippines as it entails Constitutional amendments

The United Nations declaration on decolonization states, “All peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”

The 1987 Philippine Constitution divided the country into three island groups namely Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The Philippine Constitution does not allow dismemberment of the Republic.

As discussed, there will have to be Constitutional amendments, thus, there will be

huge expenses and it will take a long time. Commission on Elections (Comelec) Charman

Sixto Brillantes Jr. said the government will have to spend at least P7 billion for

amending the Constitution. It would cost another P7 billion if Congress decides to call for

a constitutional convention, which requires election of delegates, the actual convention,

and a nationwide plebiscite, among others.

Now with all the national crises going on in the country, we cannot afford such additional expenses. With the incoming election, we will once again be acknowledging the supremacy of the Philippine Constitution , the same laws that had been governing our country since 1987.

Put together, making constitutional amendments in order to cater to the clamor for Mindanao’s independence will be impractical. We cant sacrifice the economy of the country in order to attain freedom which as I expounded in my first argument will not be attained, not with the Muslims striving to make Mindanao a Bangsamoro state.